1/48 - Westland Wessex HAS.3 by Italeri - released

[Grizzly]

The CAD pics look very nice, one reservation I have is regarding the PE set, lifted directly from the UH sic HU5 kit, is the mash grill (tpo left) around the main rotorheard gearbox. The hole upper left is incorrect, as is the part which goes atop the tail rotor gearbox (part 4), the latter being the style fitted to the RAF HC/HAR's. No better in the Eduard set, which has the same problem.

The decals and without having reference tot he markings sheet looks good. Humphrey is offered in it's Falklands scheme of O/A RAF BG. White ROYAL NAVY titles are offered on the sheet, which would give the option of Hunphrey in it's earleir Yello over RAF BG.

Now the wheels start to fall off! 652/PO is shown with white ROYAL NAVY titles but black are given on the decals sheet! Also why offer the Bournmouth museum option in my opinion a toatal waste? Again lifted from the 72nd scale kit decal sheet. Somewhat lazy on Itaelris part. We shall have to see once the kit is released.

Colin

I agree it is a shame they have given the Prototype which ended up at RAF Halton & was resprayed in RAF Rescue markings !!! There is a second 737 NAS subject on the sheet 653 with the correct white markings . It looks a lovely kit ,it would have been nice to see a underside shot . Regards Len

[NAVY870]

It looks ok in the CAD pics, the fairing for the IFF antennae looks a bit suss but

thats not a show stopper.

I thought they had screwed up the location of the primary hydraulic ground test points (the 3 little sticky out things on the nose)

Could have sworn they were on the other side, turns out they are on the 31A/B and as per the kit on the Pommy ones.

Any sign of a release date?

[Homebee]

Released!

In stock at my LHS, big H and most of the best hobby shops. I'm happy.

V.P.

Edited June 16, 2013 by Homebee

[Antoine]

Hope we'll get a review soon.

Reading 'Down south' from Chris Parry at the moment.

Can't wait!

[pacificmustang]

Steve, order from Hannants. They have them in stock now and also the decal sheet with the RAN option

Bruce

[NAVY870]

Steve, order from Hannants. They have them in stock now and also the decal sheet with the RAN option

Bruce

Orders in.

I want to use Aussie Decals Wessi sheet, hopefully its still usable. I'd like to make 827 and 824.

Looking at whats in the kit its going to be a bit harder to make a 31 than I first thought.

It appears they are a lot more different that a HAS 3.

I've dragged out my old training notes and started making a list, I might post it here or AMI depending who's interested

[pacificmustang]

definately interested Steve, as would be a few others here. I imagine

Bruce

[heloman1]

If memory serves me the Mk31B's were upgraded 31A's which were basically HAS Mk1's so most of the nose detail will be the same as the 1's with the Avpin starter cover on the starboard nose. You could back work the HAS3 to depict this or ask Ali for my Mk1 nose (apologies,another shameless plug). With the HU5 kit, the HC/HAR2 conversion sets and now the HAS3 kit their is no reason why any of the marks in 48th scale cannot now be modeled.

Colin

[NAVY870]

If memory serves me the Mk31B's were upgraded 31A's which were basically HAS Mk1's so most of the nose detail will be the same as the 1's with the Avpin starter cover on the starboard nose. You could back work the HAS3 to depict this or ask Ali for my Mk1 nose (apologies,another shameless plug). With the HU5 kit, the HC/HAR2 conversion sets and now the HAS3 kit their is no reason why any of the marks in 48th scale cannot now be modeled.

Colin

Yes and no

The 31A is based on the HAS 1 with a few differences.

The 31B looks like a HAS 3 but is the same basic airframe with a lot of detail differences, mainly stuff that you wouldnt notice unless

you were aquainted with the beast.

31's didn't have AVPIN starters, they had a god awful air start system fed from two compressed air bottles housed in the intake, never worked properly

but very good at cooking starters.

The secondary ground hydraulics are on the opposites side on a 31, the large fuel pipe near the starboard gear on a 3 is missing on a 31.

Lots of differences in antennae.

Internally the auto pilot black boxes are all under a bench seat in the front of the cab, plus the skull duggery radios fitted for 816 squadrons national tasks duties with the SAS.

Biggest issue I see with the kit is the moulded on sonar funnel. Completely wrong shape for an RAN machine. 31B's only had sonar for a very short time and to accurately model that version new longer exhausts and the roof mounted radar scanner would need to be sourced.

Not saying it cant be done just that banging a set of red rats on it wont make it a 31.

[KeithBurrage]

Hope we'll get a review soon.

Reading 'Down south' from Chris Parry at the moment.

Can't wait!

Scram! by Harry Benson is a cracking read too. Got some interesting photos as well.

[FIGHTS ON]

Looks great and long overdue. However, not to be out done with their mistakes on the Wessex V decal sheet, they've somehow managed to get a crab scheme onto this Wessex 3 kit? I will consider it part of my son's education to witness me slowly cut out the offending markings and then burn them less he grow up to get any idea that the most Junior Service actually flew helicopters at sea

Heloman1 - thanks for comment, 'yes' i'll probably be looking to backdate this to a mk1 (shame some of those lovely ModelDecal sheets - that allowed almost ANY Mk1/3/5 to be done can't be re-released in 48th by extradecal!!!!